www.wolfowitzresign.com May 21, 2007

Friday, May 18, 2007

Sr. VP Marwan Muasher to EXT Staff -We must look ahead. As the communications professionals of the Bank we have a critical role beginning right now -- in promoting our internal healing and re-establishing the Bank's reputation with our external stakeholders. Let us focus on these tasks. The Bank's strong values and principles remain as firm as ever.

VP Jim Adams to East Asia Pacific Staff-I hope now we can refocus all our efforts on the considerable development challenges that our region continues to face. This is the work that matters to the people of our region and it is the work that I am sure you want the Bank to be known for. I am committed to working with you to underline the Bank’s good name in this region and I trust that you will join me in that mission in the weeks and months ahead.

VP Shigeo Katsu to Europe and Central Asia Staff-As we move forward, we need to continue to work together to rebuild faith in our institution among partners and stakeholders throughout ECA and restore the trust that is essential to our business. To do this, I need your continuing help in showing what the World Bank is all about and redoubled efforts in helping our clients achieve a better life for their citizens. Let’s focus all our energies now on serving our clients.

VP Joy Phumaphi to Human Development Staff-So, let us gather our thoughts, and remind ourselves again of why we care so passionately about the work we do. Let us remind ourselves of the 77 million young boys and girls, children who yearn to go to primary school but cannot get past the front door of the classroom; the millions of others who are malnourished and stunted; and the many men and women who live hand-to-mouth in their old age because they have no pensions or savings to live on in their final years; these are the many sides of poverty and inequality that we care about so passionately.

Chief Economist & Sr. VP Francois Bourguignon to Development Economics Staff-Yesterday's Board decision comes as a relief, even though its presentation tends to hide the real nature of the crisis which has just been, at last, resolved. The Bank can now move toward what will be the next steps, which include a very challenging presidential transition. It will be important to make sure that the Bank can function effectively as soon as possible. This involves restoring the trust and credibility of the Bank in all of its activities.

VP Daniela Gressani to Middle East/ North Africa Staff-I hope that we can all work together to repair the damage that our institution has suffered through this controversy. This will require that we restore and rebuild trust and confidence, among us staff and with our clients and partners. These are large challenges but I am confident that building on our greatest asset -- our mutual respect -- we can overcome the present difficulties and deliver on our mission.

VP Danny Leipziger to Poverty Reduction & Economic Management Staff-For this reason, I am confident that we will overcome this crisis, drawing upon your professionalism and commitment to the goals of the Bank. This will need to be accompanied both by a process of internal healing as well as by actions to address critical management issues that have arisen. I hope to work with others in senior management to try and restore internal governance.

VP Pamela Cox to Latin America/ Caribbean Staff-With your determination, I am confident that we will be able to turn the crisis into an opportunity to regain the trust of all our stakeholders through our words and deeds, ensuring that the Bank and the LAC region emerge from this crisis a stronger and more effective development partner. This will take time, effort and active listening to the voices outside and inside the institution. Good governance begins at home and we know that in order to promote good policies abroad we will need to build a more inclusive, transparent and accountable institution.

Executive VP Lars Thunell to IFC Staff-I would like to thank you for all your hard work and professionalism during these recent weeks. This has been a difficult time for all of us as the Board works through its process concerning Bank leadership. With the end of the fiscal year in sight, our work program is well on track, and that is due to your efforts. I am personally grateful that you have kept your focus on our clients and our mission to create opportunities and improve lives.

VP Praful Patel to South Asia Staff-I know you all care deeply about what has been happening and while many of you have followed the very public unfolding of this crisis, I know that at the same time you have maintained a strong delivery of the region's important work. This dual focus has left us all feeling stretched and a little exhausted but I do want to thank you for persisting with the work you care about so much.

52 comments:

This is again a disappointing statement from him, avoiding to take a position himself. He still hasn't shown if he's part of the gang -and should go with them - or if he can become a credible voice of the Bank.

I would like to thank all of you for your tremendous hard work and outstanding professionalism during the last few weeks. It has been an unusually testing situation for you as individual staff members, as the communications representatives of the institution, and for those of you who have had to put in long hours, as spouses, parents, and partners.

The important thing is that we have a path forward now, and we can plan our work with greater certainty.

I understand that many staff members are not fully satisfied with the outcome. I would like to emphasize that we must all bear in mind the incredible importance of a negotiated consensus in a multilateral institution.

We must look ahead. As the communications professionals of the Bank we have a critical role beginning right now -- in promoting our internal healing and re-establishing the Bank's reputation with our external stakeholders. Let us focus on these tasks. The Bank's strong values and principles remain as firm as ever.

And our communications expertise is needed now more than ever to keep our development priorities on track. We will need to help donors refocus on the effectiveness and results delivered by IDA to ensure its successful replenishment for the poorest people. We also have much work to do in supporting our key priorities to show the Bank's leadership and relevance in a changing world.

And as senior leadership responds to the demand for reform, especially on our governance structure, we will need to show stakeholders and the broader public how we have learned from this experience.

As a newcomer to the Bank, I've had a crash course in getting to know the Bank and you as talented, committed individuals. I am truly enthused to be working with all of you as we move beyond this controversy, and I have full confidence that together we can help the Bank get back on track with our real work and mission.

Regards,

Marwan MuasherEXT Senior Vice President

VP Jim Adams to East Asia Pacific Staff-

Colleagues:

With the issue surrounding the Bank’s leadership addressed, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for sustaining the organization’s important work despite what I am sure has been a very stressful period. I extend my thanks to your families and close friends who, I am sure, have supported you through this extended period of upheaval.

I hope now we can refocus all our efforts on the considerable development challenges that our region continues to face – whether that be providing people with access to basic services, helping governments deal with a return to civil conflict, filling the infrastructure gap or providing advice on how to deal with income inequality. The list of challenges is long, even in a region that – for the most part - has grown impressively since the financial crisis of 10 years ago. We continue to have a major role to play and we can now put all our effort and time into it.

As Vice President of this region, I want to assure you that I will be working with sustained commitment to confront governance matters front-on within our institution just as I will support you in your efforts to work with our client countries to support their efforts in governance reform. We have a Bank governance strategy that was unanimously endorsed by the Board that provides a solid basis for our efforts.

I also want to take this opportunity to remind you of this region’s many achievements and to assure you that we continue to have a very talented, committed and experienced group of people who can achieve even more.In the last year alone, you as a team, have worked with governments and development partners across the region to:

 Rebuild housing for the people of Yogyakarta in record time after last year’s devastating earthquake while continuing to support the reconstruction of Aceh  Pull together the world’s first comprehensive environmental assessment in Lao PDR that will inform our program in the country in coming years  Pilot a unique scheme to give rural people in six Mongolian provinces the means to build new and sustainable livelihoods  Support the Philippines Government’s governance agenda with impacts like school textbooks now costing half their 1999 price  Improve urban sanitation systems in China, Vietnam and the Philippines  Achieve a record commitment from donors of $4.5 billion for Vietnam’s development  Provide international best practice advice on cash transfer schemes to the Government of Indonesia which has distributed cash payments to the 15 million vulnerable households most seriously affected by oil price rises  Develop a plan for the Pacific Island country of Kiribati so that it can better withstand the impacts of climate change  Enable poor, low-skilled workers from Vanuatu to work temporarily in a horticultural area of New Zealand  Undertake a study that highlighted the differences in the investment climates of 120 cities across China.

This year, we plan to commit over US$4 billion in loans and grants to East Asia and Pacific region countries.

This is the work that matters to the people of our region and it is the work that I am sure you want the Bank to be known for. I am committed to working with you to underline the Bank’s good name in this region and I trust that you will join me in that mission in the weeks and months ahead.If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me directly.

James AdamsEAP Vice President

VP Shigeo Katsu to Europe and Central Asia Staff-

Dear colleagues,

We have all now learned that Mr. Wolfowitz will leave the institution effective June 30. A reading of the statements by the Board and the President leaves one with very mixed emotions - a sigh of relief that a solution is at hand, and frustration that the central questions of governance and accountability have simply fallen by the wayside.

I want to thank you and let you know how proud I am of your professionalism and solidarity towards our institution, our clients and our colleagues throughout this trying and stressful time. I know this has been difficult for our ECA community, as well as for our colleagues Bank-wide. The non-stop news coverage of the situation has left us feeling bruised to see our institution in the news for the wrong reasons.

I would like to reiterate my message of a few weeks ago in our ECA townhall, to hold your heads high. Despite its many downsides, the recent situation has shown that our institution is serious about governance at all levels, including applying the principles at its very top. We do not cede the high ground to anyone. In fact, as a result of this experience, which followed a long but due process, I believe that we will emerge as a much stronger institution in pursuing our mission of promoting growth and fighting poverty.

As we move forward, we need to continue to work together to rebuild faith in our institution among partners and stakeholders throughout ECA and restore the trust that is essential to our business. To do this, I need your continuing help in showing what the World Bank is all about and redoubled efforts in helping our clients achieve a better life for their citizens. Let’s focus all our energies now on serving our clients.

I want to assure you that I will work closely with colleagues from the senior management team to ensure that we speed up the institutional healing process that must take place over the next several weeks.

On a personal note - as I write this, I am taking part in the last day of the ABCDE conference in Slovenia where Francois Bourguignon, Michael Klein, Pradeep Mitra, many of our colleagues and I have heard repeated testimony from our development partners, academics, parliamentarians, and civil society about how highly they regard the World Bank for its key role in driving the frontiers of development research and thinking. Participants have come up to us to express their appreciation for the Bank. These interactions in the midst of our institutional crisis only reinforce my belief in the value of our institution and in the work that you all do. We have a lot to be proud of at the Bank and we must keep this foremost in our minds as we close this painful chapter and refocus on our work.

When I return late next week, we will hold an ECA townhall to discuss your concerns and ideas about how we as a Region can move forward constructively. In the meantime, please talk to your managers with respect to your immediate concerns. You can also email me directly with suggestions. And let me also thank you for your many words of encouragement and support.

Best wishes,

Shigeo KatsuECA Vice President

VP Joy Phumaphi to Human Development Staff-

Dear Colleagues,

We have gone through a very difficult and trying time over the past six weeks. Last night the Board process reached its final conclusion, and Paul Wolfowitz has agreed to resign as part of a negotiated consensus in our multilateral institution. I know a good many of us may feel that this consensus is less than perfect, but it does start to bring to an end this period of institutional crisis that we have been living through. It has been hard for all of us to endure and it will take a while for our collective wounds to heal.

I would like to thank you for the exemplary commitment and great professionalism you have shown during this very difficult time.

So, let us gather our thoughts, and remind ourselves again of why we care so passionately about the work we do. Let us remind ourselves of the 77 million young boys and girls, children who yearn to go to primary school but cannot get past the front door of the classroom; the millions of others who are malnourished and stunted; and the many men and women who live hand-to-mouth in their old age because they have no pensions or savings to live on in their final years; these are the many sides of poverty and inequality that we care about so passionately.

Our mandate and our work are as urgent as ever, so let us reach out to our clients, our partners, our colleagues across the Bank, and our families with the news that the Bank is re-doubling its great energies and professionalism to fight the problems of poverty and exclusion that distort the lives of so many millions of the world's vulnerable and needy people. So, let us meet on Monday morning at 10:00 am in the common area outside my office, as we have a number of times over the last few weeks, and talk candidly about how we return to our human development work with more urgency and commitment than ever before.

I have been incredibly proud of how our HD family has come through this uncertain period. Now, let's move forward, determined, and with faith in our mission restored.

In the past few weeks, we have been going through tremendously difficult times for our institution, its credibility, and its reputation. I share the deep frustration and the pain that you have all been feeling.

Yesterday's Board decision comes as a relief, even though its presentation tends to hide the real nature of the crisis which has just been, at last, resolved.

The Bank can now move toward what will be the next steps, which include a very challenging presidential transition. It will be important to make sure that the Bank can function effectively as soon as possible. This involves restoring the trust and credibility of the Bank in all of its activities.

As you know, some of us were in Slovenia for the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics (ABCDE) when we heard the news. I want you to know that the conference went well -- showing that our work continues and that we haven't been distracted from the important tasks of knowledge dissemination, debate, and the exchange of ideas.

Likewise, our ability to partner constructively with governments, donor partners and researchers from around the world remains in tact.

I know that the Bank can -- once more -- count on DEC, and on your professionalism and dedication to help take on the challenges ahead.

Best regards,

Francois J. BourguignonChief Economist and Sr Vice President

VP Daniela Gressani to Middle East/ North Africa Staff-

As many of you, I learned last night about the decisions reached by our Board, and the resignations of our president. While many important issues remain to be addressed, as recognized in the Board statement, I believe that we ought now to look forward.

I hope that we can all work together to repair the damage that our institution has suffered through this controversy. This will require that we restore and rebuild trust and confidence, among us staff and with our clients and partners. These are large challenges but I am confident that building on our greatest asset -- our mutual respect -- we can overcome the present difficulties and deliver on our mission.

I am looking forward to working with all of you over the next weeks to identify and implement the actions needed to move us in this direction.

Daniela Gressani (in Jordan)MENA Vice President

VP Danny Leipziger to Poverty Reduction & Economic Management Staff-

Dear Colleagues,

The last few weeks have been incredibly difficult, and I would like to thank you all for your tremendous dedication and commitment to sustain the Bank's important work during this period of institutional stress.

Although there are still issues to be resolved regarding the Bank's leadership, with a decision being finally reached by the Board, we now need to turn our attention to the task of restoring the reputation of the institution which we serve, as well as to the relationships with partners and counterparts that may have been affected. We should not underestimate this challenge.

Regaining credibility is most urgent in the area of Governance, where PREM has played a leading role, but it is a concern in all our interactions. Luckily we have the dedication of staff as our greatest asset in this campaign.

For this reason, I am confident that we will overcome this crisis, drawing upon your professionalism and commitment to the goals of the Bank. This will need to be accompanied both by a process of internal healing as well as by actions to address critical management issues that have arisen. I hope to work with others in senior management to try and restore internal governance.

I am determined to work with you all to get the Bank back on track and to make us a stronger and even more effective institution going forward.

Danny LeipzigerPREM Vice President

VP Pamela Cox to Latin America/ Caribbean Staff-

Dear colleagues,

The Board of Executive Directors decided that a change in the leadership represents the way forward. We all know that the crisis of the institution we care about so deeply has damaged its credibility and hampered our work with development partners. The "day after" can not be business as usual. During these weeks of uncertainty you have demonstrated that our common values of integrity and sense of purpose are our strongest asset.

With your determination, I am confident that we will be able to turn the crisis into an opportunity to regain the trust of all our stakeholders through our words and deeds, ensuring that the Bank and the LAC region emerge from this crisis a stronger and more effective development partner. This will take time, effort and active listening to the voices outside and inside the institution. Good governance begins at home and we know that in order to promote good policies abroad we will need to build a more inclusive, transparent and accountable institution.

Let us continue this conversation, I will be back in the office on Monday and I will be available to meet with all of you.

Pamela CoxRegional Vice President

Executive VP Lars Thunell to IFC Staff-

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to thank you for all your hard work and professionalism during these recent weeks. This has been a difficult time for all of us as the Board works through its process concerning Bank leadership.

With the end of the fiscal year in sight, our work program is well on track, and that is due to your efforts. I am personally grateful that you have kept your focus on our clients and our mission to create opportunities and improve lives.

Thank you,

Lars ThunellIFC Executive Vice President

VP Praful Patel to South Asia Staff-

Dear colleagues,

I suggest we get together at the earliest opportunity and we have secured a VC for Monday between all our offices in South Asia and Washington DC. We will have a chance to talk openly and share both our feelings and our ideas for rebuilding the institution we honor and the mandate we are committed to.

While yesterday's decision of the Board and the President came as something of a relief after so many weeks of intense scrutiny it leaves some questions on the way forward. Hopefully, we will have some further clarity today. I realise there is a wide feeling of disillusion about the robustness of the Bank's governance processes. Part of our rebuilding challenge is to help fix this and make our voice heard as staff and senior management on the critical subject of the governance of this institution on which our future stands.

I know you all care deeply about what has been happening and while many of you have followed the very public unfolding of this crisis, I know that at the same time you have maintained a strong delivery of the region's important work. This dual focus has left us all feeling stretched and a little exhausted but I do want to thank you for persisting with the work you care about so much.

Let's use Monday to share both how we feel and how we move ahead. And let's see what we need as a South Asia team to work through this together. My office door is open and my email door is open too. Our work is with each other and our recovery is together.

Poor Daniela- she had so much chemistry with Wolfie that she became VP and Wolfie forced Poorstman to quit. Thought she took off on vacation so that she is not caught NOT wearing the blue ribbon.Now she has only Riza so long that she can come back.Sorry for these gals.